Piping tip cap

ABSTRACT

A cap which frictionally engages a piping tip has a generally conical cover portion with an interior surface, an exterior surface, a closed end and an open end sized to fit over a piping tip; a gripping portion on the exterior surface of the closed end of the cover portion; and a plurality of protuberances on the interior surface of the cover portion extending toward the closed end of the cover portion. The cap can include a circular ridge extending circumferentially around the interior surface of the cap, the ridge sized to fit within a circular indentation in the piping tip to maintain the cap on the piping tip.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This application relates generally to decorator tips for dispensing foodmaterials onto items such as frosting onto cakes and/or other pipedfoods. More specifically, this application relates to a piping tip capfor securing to a piping tip.

SUMMARY

The application of food material and confectionary material, such ascake frosting, to a food product generally involves urging the materialthrough a piping tip having a generally conical shape with an orifice atthe narrow end thereof. When not in use, the piping material near theorifice is exposed to the air, risking contamination and dehydration,which clogs the piping tip, making subsequent use difficult. The presentinvention is a system for capping a piping tip with a cap that is heldin place by frictional engagement with the piping tip. Described hereinis a piping tip cap and a piping tip cap system for capping a piping tipthat is easy to use and solves the problems mentioned above. The deviceis of simple construction, inexpensive to produce, economical tomaintain, and can be used in conjunction with all forms of piping tips.

In particular, this application discloses a piping tip cap comprising agenerally conical cover portion having an interior surface, an exteriorsurface, a closed end and an open end sized to fit over a piping tip, agripping portion on the exterior surface of the closed end of the coverportion and a plurality of frictional elements affixed to the interiorsurface of the cover portion for holding the cap in position over thepiping tip.

This application further discloses a piping tip cap system comprising agenerally conical piping tip and a generally conical piping tip caphaving mating elements for maintaining the cap in position on the pipingtip. These mating elements include a circular indentation extendingcircumferentially around the exterior surface of the piping tip and asimilarly sized circular ridge extending circumferentially around theinterior surface of the cap, the ridge sized to fit within the circularindentation in the piping tip to maintain the cap in position on thepiping tip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings, when considered in connection with the followingdescription, are presented for the purpose of facilitating anunderstanding of the subject matter sought to be protected.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a piping tip capdisclosed herein;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a piping tip capdisclosed herein;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a piping tip capsystem disclosed herein; and

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a third embodiment of apiping tip cap system disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, shown are perspective views of first andsecond embodiments of the piping tip cap 10 disclosed herein. Theinvention comprises a piping tip cap 10 comprising a generally conicalcover portion 14 having an interior surface 16, an exterior surface 18,a closed end 20 and an open end 22 sized to fit over a piping tip, agripping portion 24 on the exterior surface 18 of the closed end 20 ofthe cover portion 14 and a plurality of frictional elements affixed tothe interior surface 16 of the cover portion 14 for holding the cap 10in position over the piping tip. The gripping portion 24 can be affixedto the cover portion 14 or can be integral with the cover portion 14,and can be in a shape which is easy to grip, for example, as a tab(FIG. 1) or as a loop (FIG. 2).

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, shown is a perspective and a partialcross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a piping tip cap systemdisclosed herein. This embodiment is a piping tip cap system comprisinga generally conical piping tip 12 having an exterior surface 28 and anopen narrow end 30, and a generally conical piping tip cap 10 havingmating elements for maintaining the cap 10 in position on the piping tip12. These mating elements include, for example, a circular indentation32 extending circumferentially around the exterior surface 28 of thepiping tip 12 and a similarly sized circular ridge 34 extendingcircumferentially around the interior surface 16 of the cap 10, theridge 34 sized to fit within the circular indentation 32 in the pipingtip 12 to maintain the cap 10 in position on the piping tip 12.

As shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of frictional elements 26 affixed tothe interior surface 16 of the cover portion 14 comprises a plurality ofinterior protuberances, such as scales, extending toward the closed end20 of the cover portion 14. Further embodiments of the invention includea plurality of frictional elements (exterior protuberances), such asscales, or a textured (e.g. pebbled) surface on the exterior surface 18of the cover portion, to provide the user with a better grip whenhandling the cap 10. Also shown in FIG. 4 is the circular ridge 34extending inward from the open end of the cap 10. The open end of thecap 10 is optionally formed of a flexible, or elastomeric, material,such as a silicone-based material. Further embodiments of the inventioncomprise a plurality of scales affixed to the exterior surface 28 of thepiping tip 12, with the scales extending away from the open narrow end30 of the piping tip 12 in order to frictionally engage the scales onthe interior 16 of the cap 10.

To use the piping tip cap 10 of the invention, the cap 10 is presseddown onto the piping tip 12 such that the frictional elements 26 of thecap 10 frictionally engage the piping tip 12. When the embodiment of theinvention having a ridge 34 in the cap 10 and a correspondingindentation 32 in the piping tip 12 is employed, the cap 10 is pressedonto the piping tip 12 until the ridge 34 in the cap 10 engages theindentation 32 in the piping tip 12 to hold the cap 10 in place.

While the present disclosure has been described in connection with whatis considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isunderstood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosedembodiments, but is intended to cover various arrangements includedwithin the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

1. A piping tip cap comprising: a generally conical cover portion havingan interior surface, an exterior surface, a closed end and an open end,said open end adapted to fit over a piping tip; a gripping portion onsaid exterior surface of said closed end of said cover portion; and aplurality of frictional elements affixed to said interior surface ofsaid cover portion.
 2. The piping tip cap of claim 1, wherein saidgripping portion is integral with said cover portion.
 3. The piping tipcap of claim 1, wherein said gripping portion comprises a tab.
 4. Thepiping tip cap of claim 1, wherein said gripping portion comprises aloop.
 5. The piping tip cap of claim 1, wherein said plurality offrictional elements affixed to said interior surface of said coverportion comprises a plurality of protuberances extending toward saidclosed end of said cover portion.
 6. The piping tip cap of claim 5,wherein said protuberances comprise scales.
 7. The piping tip cap ofclaim 1, further comprising a textured surface on the exterior surfaceof said cover portion.
 8. The piping tip cap of claim 7, wherein saidtextured surface is a pebbled surface.
 9. The piping tip cap of claim 2,wherein: said gripping portion comprises a shape selected from the grouptab and loop; said plurality of frictional elements affixed to saidinterior surface of said cover portion comprises a plurality of scalesextending toward said closed end of said cover portion; and saidexterior surface of said cover portion includes a textured surface. 10.A piping tip cap system comprising: a generally conical piping tipincluding: (a) an exterior surface; (b) an open narrow end; and (c) acircular indentation extending circumferentially around said exteriorsurface of said piping tip; and a generally conical piping tip capincluding: (a) an interior surface; (b) an exterior surface; (c) aclosed end; (d) an open end, said open end adapted to fit over said opennarrow end of said piping tip; (e) a gripping portion integral with saidexterior surface of said closed end of said cap, said gripping portionhaving a shape selected from the group tab and loop; and (f) a circularridge extending circumferentially around said interior surface of saidcap, said ridge sized to reside within said circular indentation in saidpiping tip to maintain said cap on said piping tip.
 11. The piping tipcap system of claim 10, wherein said circular ridge extends inward fromsaid open end of said cap.
 12. The piping tip cap system of claim 11wherein said open end of said cap is formed of an elastomeric material.13. The piping tip cap system of claim 12, wherein said elastomericmaterial is a silicone-based material.
 14. The piping tip cap system ofclaim 10, further comprising a plurality of interior protuberancesaffixed to said interior surface of said cap extending toward saidclosed end of said cap.
 15. The piping tip cap system of claim 14,wherein said interior protuberances comprise scales.
 16. The piping tipcap system of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of scales affixedto said exterior surface of said piping tip, said scales extending awayfrom said open narrow end of said piping tip.
 17. The piping tip capsystem of claim 15, further comprising a textured surface on saidexterior surface of said cap.
 18. A method of affixing a cap to a pipingtip comprising the steps: providing a piping tip cap including: (a) agenerally conical cover portion having an interior surface, an exteriorsurface, a closed end and an open end, said open end adapted to fit overa piping tip; (b) a gripping portion on said exterior surface of saidclosed end of said cover portion, said gripping portion comprising ashape selected from the group tab and loop; and (c) a plurality ofscales on said interior surface of said cap extending toward said closedend of said cover portion; and placing said cap over the piping tip suchthat said scales frictionally engage said piping tip.
 19. The method ofclaim 18, wherein the piping tip has a circular indentation extendingcircumferentially around an exterior surface of the piping tip and saidcap further comprises a circular ridge extending circumferentiallyaround said interior surface of said cap, said ridge sized to fit withinthe circular indentation in the piping tip to maintain said cap on thepiping tip.
 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step ofpressing said cap onto the piping tip until said ridge in said capengages the indentation in the piping tip.